Master of Kung Fu

15-19

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu

1-2

Jim Starlin and I loved the television show Kung Fu and wanted to play with its Eastern philosophy. Nobody else at Marvel believed in it, but we got a slot in a previously-reprint title called SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION, and we co-created SHANG CHI. I meditated for a long time on the I Ching to create his name, which means "The Rising and Advancing of a Spirit," and I envisioned the title as a companion book to DR STRANGE.

After just two issues, the series was such a sensation that the the book officially became MASTER OF KUNG FU - and - Marvel added a second book, the black-and-white DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU! Shang Chi became Marvel's most popular character for years thereafter.

Unfortunately, doubling my work load was something I couldn't do with such a philosophical book, and rather than crank it out, I left it. This was too bad for me, but fortunately it was taken over by Doug Moench, who went on to work with a series of great artists like Paul Gulacy and Gene Day to make it one of Marvel's truly memorable series.

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ICollection: contains MASTER OF KUNG FU 15, DEADLY HANDS 2I
ICollection: contains MASTER OF KUNG FU 16, 19I

COMICS


NOTES:

15: I colored this issue, and consider the whole package one of my all-time favorites. I was really into this concept.

15-17: Co-plotted with Jim Starlin.

DEADLY HANDS 1: Co-plotted with Jim Starlin.

DEADLY HANDS 2: Co-plotted with Al Weiss.